A snapshot of British press reaction to migrants and the migrant crisis

Last week saw the start of EU negotiations about how to deal with the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. EU leaders decided to targetsmugglers boats and many have refused to take a large number of migrants to help alleviate the problem. Migration as a subject became a broad topic across the British media.

The Sunday Express went with a headline that would make any potential migrant quake in their boots. After they’ve fled from horrendous regimes and organisations like Isis and Boko Haram, apparently the fact that some boats have been destroyed might be enough to stop them from making the perilous journey across the sea. Of course, at about £1000 per person the smugglers stand to make around £500,000 per trip whether it succeeds or not, they can probably afford new boats…

The only other newspaper to report on this matter was the Observer which referred to Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham’s call to get a deal for the migrant crisis as soon as possible.

Not actually to do directly with the migrant crisis but the Daily Telegraph reported about the ‘scandal’ of foreign nurses who have ‘bogus’ papers. Using a broad web of reference to ‘foreigners’ in the NHS they’re warning that many could be put at risk by under-qualified staff. However, up to 11 per cent of all staff and 26 per cent of doctors are non-British. This followed on from the guilty verdict in the case of Victorino Chua, the nurse found guilty of killing patients by poisoning saline with insulin.

Aha! Next up on the list, another policy that achieves literally nothing but looks like the government’s doing something. Illegal migrants pay will be seized. Nevermind the fact that they will be detained once discovered and potentially deported, we’ll take all their money, that they can’t spend in any case.

Yep, a continuation in the migrant theme heading into the bank holiday weekend. In other news the Independent reported in David Cameron’s attempts to stop migrants claiming benefits in the UK. Although, as the Daily Express admits above: “The number of Romanians and Bulgarians who arrived in Britain doubled to 46,000, including 35,000 who came for work.” Quite why migrants would need to claim benefits while they are working is beyond me. Perhaps it’s just all nonsense.